Customers prefer bots over humans for support

People are now more receptive of bots in customer support services, a new report by LivePerson has concluded. Consumers would rather talk to a bot than to a human, and usually rate the interaction with the digital helpers as a great one.

Even though the general opinion of bots was that they were implemented by companies to cut costs, it is now being realized that it was also (or even more) about the speed of service.

More than half (52 percent) of consumers globally would not rate the customer service as “excellent,” if they were forced to wait on the line for more than two minutes. In the US, 28 percent are willing to wait one minute and 25 percent two minutes.

When it comes to bots, globally almost four in ten (38 percent) rate their perception of the technology as positive. A majority (51 percent) is neutral while 11 percent say it perceives bots negatively.

“With a more accepting attitude toward bots, the previous perception that brands and companies use bots purely to cut costs is fading,” LivePerson says.

But some are still skeptical. Fifty-six percent would rather wait a few minutes to talk to a real person than chat with a bot immediately. Six in ten say this is because humans still understand them better than bots. But when bots are just as good as humans, consumers would rather choose bots (55 percent).

“We’re helping brands across industries and geographies integrate bots into their organizations through our LiveEngage for Bots platform, and we’re continuing to see consumers shift to a more positive perception of bots as they experience the high-quality service that many bots offer, working alongside human customer care agents,” says Rurik Bradbury, global head of communications and research at LivePerson.

“This research is part of an ongoing effort to understand consumers’ evolving perceptions of bots and provide our customers with insights and best practices for implementing bots within digital and customer care organizations.”